Jussie Smollett: ‘There Would Be No Empire Without Cookie’

“The best word to use is just a blessing,” the actor said, describing the breakout success of his FOX series “Empire.” “Some more B-words would be bizarre and blizzard.”

“I don’t know. It’s been great. It’s been dope. It’s everything I ever wanted in my career, just mixed up in this gumbo pot of ‘Empire.”’

Smollett, 31, has already seen his younger sister Jurnee and brother Jake achieve success in film and television. He co-starred in such early 90s films as The Mighty Ducks and North en route to his biggest role to date as Jamal Lyon, the musician son of record label mogul Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) and Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson).

The popularity of Jamal’s crazy mama is not lost on Smollett. Below, the actor uses a certain C-word to explain the show’s mass appeal.